ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - A garbage truck fire prompted a multi-agency response near Horseshoe Park early Monday, March 23 leaving one person injured. The cause for the fire is still under investigation.

Cosumnes Fire Department Battalion Chief Courtland Fisher told the Elk Grove Citizen that fire crews were dispatched just before 9 a.m. to Denali Circle, off Big Horn Boulevard, for a report of a garbage truck fire. When firefighters arrived, the garbage truck operator had already dumped the load onto the roadway after realizing it was on fire.

Fisher said the driver was alerted to signs of fire coming from the back of the truck before emptying the load. The debris ignited in the street, requiring fire crews to respond and contain the flames.

 

A community member captured the initial fire from a full load of trash that was dumped from a garbage truck onto Denali Circle near the tennis courts at Horseshoe Park on March 23.

One civilian was injured in the incident, treated at the scene and transported for further medical evaluation, according to Fisher. No additional information about the patient’s condition was available.

Engine 74 and Engine 72 responded to the scene, along with the Elk Grove Police Department.

The garbage truck company Republic Services also responded to assist with cleanup and disposal of the debris left behind, Fisher said. He also noted that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A community member who submitted photos and video described witnessing the incident as it occurred.

 

Firefighters work to extinguish a garbage truck fire along the roadside near the tennis courts at Horseshoe Park.

“This morning at around 8:45 a.m. I was at Horseshoe Park with my grandkids. A garbage truck passed by on Denali Circle and a bystander said they saw smoke coming out of it,” the community member said.

“The truck had to dump the entire load on Denali Circle. It started burning and occasionally we heard popping noises coming from the pile. The fire trucks arrived a few minutes later and then several police vehicles to block off the area.”

Videos provided by the community member show the initial fire after a full load of trash, covering about a parking space and a half along the curb, was dumped onto Denali Circle near the park’s tennis courts, followed by fire crews working to extinguish the flames.

The community memeber submitted footage can be viewed at here: https://fb.watch/G2N8p5T1lW/